February 22, 2012

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I'm a huge fan of condo living. I like the social aspect of it as well as the environmentally-friendly benefits.

Another new LA High-Rise?

Proposed LA Condo Tower

When we heard about another new 39-story tower in LA with 283 condos priced in the $1M range, we thought we were watching that SNL skit where the news anchors say "Really?  REALLY?" after every story.  Do we Really need this?  Really?  Are the condos at The Century just flying off the shelf so fast that we need another high-end building in the same area?  Really? Crescent Heights is trying to get plans approved for a $184M condo tower to be located at 10000 Santa Monica Blvd. between … [Read more...]

Panorama Towers North Becomes “The Martin”

The Martin Condos of Las Vegas

The newest high-rise condo in Las Vegas has a new name and a new image:  The building formerly known as Panorama Tower North has been reborn as The Martin.  Last month The Mark Company took over all the marketing and on-site sales and rebranded the tower. Call it whatever you want, we love the corner units at The Martin.  The floor-to-ceiling walls of windows offer fantastic views of City Center and the Strip, and provide that "living in the sky" feeling so many high-rise buyers look for. … [Read more...]

Rarely-available Nokonah Loft For Sale in Austin, TX

Nokonah Condo For Sale

These lofts rarely come on the market, especially corner units as nice as this one.  This Nokonah condo is located on the southeast corner of the east tower. One of the best places to call home in downtown Austin, the Nokonah offers sophistication, luxury and security.  This newly listed residence has over 1500 square feet with two spacious bedrooms, two full baths plus a home office. Luxurious, upscale appointments are found throughout.  Be impressed by the panoramic views of the … [Read more...]

Las Vegas Condo Inventory Down

As of January 2011, the inventory of high-rise condos for sale in Las Vegas has dropped to 345 from over 600 last year.   Of those, 48 are foreclosures and 114 are short sales.  As with any market, when supply diminishes demand starts to increase so we see this drastic reduction in inventory as a step in the right direction.  Pricing for condos in 2010 dropped 2.9%.  While that may look like a poor number it pales in comparison to 2009 (-33.8%) and 2008 (-51.4%). … [Read more...]

1 Ecker Lofts of San Francisco now FHA approved

1 Ecker Lofts

1 Ecker, a mid-rise loft building in a great financial district location, is now FHA approved.  The developer has also announced that 60% of the homes are sold and there are residents now living in the building. I've toured this building personally and I love how the modern finish contrasts with the historic feel.  I also think the fourth-floor units are well worth the modest price difference because the windows are bigger and arched and they let the light stream in.  There is no parking … [Read more...]

John Ross in Portland has sold out

ross2

So, is this a good sign or a bad one?  The good news is that the 31-story John Ross Condominium tower in Portland has sold out all of its 303 units.  The bad news is that they started selling in March of 2007 and even had an auction back in April.  Admittedly that was a terrible time to start selling condos, but Portland is one of the few large cities the country that are growing, and the units were  re-priced some time ago to the mid-$100's.   The final unit was a 636 square foot studio … [Read more...]

Japanese micro-farms for city dwellers

If you live in a high-rise in the city your options for taking part in the local food grower's movement may be limited.  However if you combine that desire for growing your own food with the desire for local farmers to utilize all their available land and BAM you have micro-farms! In Japan, condo dwellers are renting small plots of land at country farms where they can escape the city and get their hands dirty while harvesting their own food and avoiding big agriculture. Read more... … [Read more...]

Safari Drive in Phoenix Resumes Sales

Safari Drive Condos Scottsdale

Looks like ST Residential has bought up another partially-completed project.  This time it's Safari Drive, a luxury condo development along the Arizona Canal north of Camelback Road in Scottsdale.  New pricing starts at around $370,000 for a 1200 square foot unit, and goes up to around $1M for a 2,100 square foot home.  A second, smaller phase is even being planned that would be built in front of the existing project. Click here to see available Safari Drive condos. … [Read more...]

Condo Auction Tips

Condo Auction

Condo Auctions are now a regular occurrence in large cities across America. Most of the time they happen because a developer is having trouble selling their remaining condos in a traditional fashion and they're ready to close the sales office and move on to their next project.   There are typically three types of condo auctions: "Reserve" auctions mean the seller has complete control over whether or not they accept the high bid, even after the auction is concluded (unlike reserve auctions … [Read more...]

Welcome news for Las Vegas condo buyers

MGM Grand Condos

We have welcome news for condo buyers in Las Vegas... it just became a little easier to get financing on some buildings that have been deemed "condo hotels".  For the last few years if you wanted a condo in a building like the Signature MGM residences you had to pay cash - any lending had completely dried up.  Now it looks like if your condo meets these criteria you may have a chance to get a loan: Loan amount between $100,000 - $500,000 Property must have full kitchen and separate … [Read more...]